4 Exclusive iOS 26.3 Features Americans Won't Be Getting

iOS 26.3 is just around the corner. While the new OS update for iPhone devices will bring a new Android transfer functionality and a new privacy setting to hide your location, the new iOS version is primarily focused on complying with European legislation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). With iOS 26.3, users from the European Union will get four new features, including notification forwarding to a third-party smartwatch, AirPods-level proximity pairing with third-party devices, new NFC features, and high-bandwidth Wi-Fi connection from one device to another.

Even though Apple usually releases iOS x.3 versions in late January, or as late as the first few days of February, it seems this update might take slightly longer, as the company still hasn't seeded the Release Candidate version of the upcoming software update. Additionally, Apple recently launched iOS 26.2.1 with support for the second-generation AirTag. That said, Apple still has time till March to comply with EU legislation, but it shouldn't ideally take that long. A lot of these features, however, may never see the light of day if you're in the U.S.

Apple currently limits the experience if you're using a third-party smartwatch with your iPhone instead of an Apple Watch. However, the European Commission wants consumers to be able to pick whichever smartwatch they wish to use without compromising on functionality. This is why iOS 26.3 will let users in the EU use the new Pebble smartwatch or other third-party watches with better support. The biggest change coming with iOS 26.3 is the ability to reply to notifications from third-party smartwatches, which was, at this point, impossible. In other words, you could get a WhatsApp message, SMS, or other notifications on your watch, but you couldn't reply to them.

With the upcoming update, users will finally be able to reply to notifications directly from the watch. However, the new Notification Forwarding experience will limit these perks to a single smartwatch, which means that if you have an Apple Watch and a Pebble, you'll have to choose between one of them to be your main watch. For those without an Apple Watch, this will be a big change, but regular Apple Watch users won't experience any change.

When Apple introduced the first-gen AirPods back in 2016, one of the highlights was the ability to open the case and rapidly pair the earbuds with not just your iPhone but all your Apple devices seamlessly. The European Commission believes all third-party accessory makers should have the ability to offer the same technology. Even though some brands provide this feature by asking users to download companion apps, it's not as seamless. This is why European users with iOS 26.3 will get the quick pairing feature for all earbuds.

Apple has agreed to offer third-party developers the ability to use Bluetooth's BLE protocol so users can just approach a new device to pair with an iPhone. While it will depend on the manufacturer to ultimately offer the functionality, it's at least possible now. Hopefully, headphones from Marshall, JBL, and other popular brands will soon implement the feature.

Apple currently limits how third-party apps can use the NFC functionality on an iPhone. This will change with iOS 26.3. Usually, developers who want to offer NFC capabilities in their apps need to do so via Apple Wallet. So if you have a public transportation card, a debit card, or a car key that uses NFC, using the Apple Wallet app is the only way to access those cards. With iOS 26.3, Apple is set to extend the capabilities of the NFC chip to third-party apps.

As a result, third-party apps can offer tap-to-pay or similar features that involve tapping your iPhone onto an NFC-enabled surface. Of course, those apps would still have to receive regulatory approvals from governing bodies. Nonetheless, this is an excellent move, since Apple Wallet has some limitations, and a third-party app can address them now. Unfortunately, it'll only be applicable in the EU.

While the name might feel intimidating, the European Commission explains that Apple currently offers the ability for Apple devices to communicate with each other, despite not having an internet connection. For example, you can AirDrop a video from an iPhone to a Mac or even use your iPhone as a camera for the Mac without requiring a cable or a shared Wi-Fi network. With iOS 26.3, the company will have to allow developers to take advantage of similar features in Europe, such as AirDrop-like functions, the ability for wearables, gaming accessories, and other peripherals to exchange large amounts of data with an iPhone directly.

Even though Apple built all of these functions in-house with privacy in mind, the company will have to allow developers to take advantage of these capabilities through a high-bandwidth peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection as a means for the iPhone to connect to other devices. Besides that, Apple will have to continue to safeguard the user experience, as the same level of privacy and security will have to be present. Data will be stored locally unless the app says otherwise, and the user will have to provide consent.